*** Calculator FAQ ***
v1.5 by Leviatan
Last updated on February 9, 1999
Home page: http://www.rpgamer.com
If you want to find me on IRC, I'll be on DALnet in #square. I'll either be
Leviatan or Ragnarok.
CALCULATOR: Uses "Math Skill" ability. Equips caps, robes and long staffs.
1. FAQs
-
Q. Why are calculators so good?
A. Because, with a little luck and a little skill, they can clean the board in
one turn.
-
Q: Ok, I'm sold. How do I get one?
A: Make someone a level 4 Wizard and Priest, and a level 3 Oracle and Time
Mage. The class "Calculator" will show up.
-
Q. Why is my calculator so slow?
A. Calculators have horrible speed :/. Try giving them a thief hat and some
sprint shoes. If it's a female, give them the H Bag. My advice is to turn the
Calculator back into a Black Mage and give him "Math Skill." This solves both
the magic power and speed problems.
-
Q: Why don't the spells do as much damage as a mage?
A: Again, calculators have bad magic power. Learn all the abilities and give
them to a mage and it will do around the same as "Black Magic." Other solutions
include the mage ability "MP Attack UP" and a Magic Gauntlet.
-
Q: ACK! I just killed off all my guys!
A: That's one of the dangers of calculators. They can hit your own men,
including themselves, so be careful. Make sure you look around after the check
to make sure the ground under your guys isn't flashing bright green.
-
Q: Umm, ok, so why's "Math Skill" greyed out?
A: Because you haven't learned any math skills yet! You need to get a value AND
a number it will be usable. More on this in the next section.
2. MATH SKILL
Math skill is pretty easy to use once you've figured it out. I
liken it
to the lores in FF3, like Lv 4 Flare. The available abilities are:
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| VALUES |
+--------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Value: | Description |
+--------------|-----------------------------------------------+
| CT | Divides by the current CT count of all units |
| Level | Divides by the level of all units |
| EXP | Divides by the current EXP of all units |
| Height | Divides by the hetght of all units |
+--------------+-----------------------------------------------+
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| NUMBERS |
+--------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Numbers: | Description |
+--------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Prime Number | If the value is a prime number, the unit is |
| | affected. |
| 3 | If the value is a multiple of three, the |
| | unit is affected. |
| 4 | If the value is a multiple of four, the unit |
| | is affected. |
| 5 | If the value is a multiple of five, the unit |
| | is affected. |
+--------------+-----------------------------------------------+
Available Spells:
Most Time Magic, Black Magic, White Magic and Yin Yang Magic that character has
learned (non-usable spells listed below)
Example:
There is a goblin who is Level 36, with 16 experience on height 7. There is
also a calculator who is level 35, with 20 experience on height 5. That
calculator chooses level first, then he chooses 3, then flare. He casts flare
on all units whose levels are multiples of three, and hence, the goblin is
affected. This spell is cast immediately with no loss of MP to the calculator.
That calculator could also choose to hit the goblin and all other units on the
board with EXP, then 4, then flare, which would also hit the goblin. However,
it would not be reccomended to use height, then prime number, then flare, as it
would hit the goblin AND the calculator, because 5 and 7 are prime numbers.
NOTES ON HEIGHT:
* If a unit is floating, add 1 number to their height.
* If a non-floating unit is underwater, subtract the depth number from the
height shown.
* If the unit underwater is a chocobo, only subtract 1, regardless of the
depth.
* Units at half-heights, such as 4.5, cannot be hit with the height ability.
* Units at height 0 or 1 cannot be hit with height.
OTHER NOTES:
* There are some numbers which cannot be hit. These would include 52, 49, etc.
* Multiples of prime numbers don't count, cause, hey, everything is a multiple
of a prime number :)
* Summon spells cannot be used with "Math Skill." It'd rule if they could
though.
3. OTHER ABILITIES
Of course, the Calculator has other abilities besides "Math Skill." Here they
are:
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| OTHER ABILITIES |
+------------+-----+--------------------------------------------+
| Ability | J P | Description |
+------------+-----+--------------------------------------------+
| Distribute | 200 | When HP is maxed, it gives the excess HP |
| | | to other members of your party. |
| Damage | 300 | When damaged by an enemy, it cures half of |
| Split | | the damage done to you and does it to |
| | | the enemy who damaged you. |
| Gained EXP | 350 | Doubles the amount of EXP you recieve. |
| Up | | |
| Move-Get | 400 | Gives you 1 EXP for every tile you move |
| EXP | | over. |
| Move-Get | 360 | Gives you 1 JP for every tile you move |
| JP | | over. |
+------------+-----+--------------------------------------------+
Damage Split and Gained EXP up are the most useful out of these. Move-Get EXP
and Move-Get JP give too little of each to be useful, and if you have a
calculator, you should be able to heal all your party members anyway, so
Distribute is a waste.
4. HINTS
* Learn all 8 of the Math Skill abilities. Then give them to a black mage if
you want them to hit hard, or give them to a lancer or a knight if you want
them to be hit hard :)
* Use the item trick to gain JP very quickly. Also use the Squire skill,
"Earned JP-up".
Most useful spells to know with a calculator:
+------------+-----------+---------+------------+
| Spell | Class | JP Cost | Usefulness |
+------------+-----------+---------+------------+
| Flare | Wizard | 900 | **** |
| Bolt 3 | Wizard | 480 | **** |
| Death | Wizard | 600 | *** |
| Cure 3 | Priest | 400 | ***** |
| Raise 2 | Priest | 500 | ****** |
| Holy | Priest | 600 | ***** |
| Esuna | Priest | 280 | **** |
| Haste | Time Mage | 100 | **** |
| Stop | Time Mage | 330 | **** |
| Don't Move | Time Mage | 100 | **** |
| Paralyze | Oracle | 100 | **** |
+------------+-----------+---------+------------+
You'll find yourself using these spells more than any of the other ones, so you
can usually get away with learning only these. You usually don't want to use
weaker spells, so the 1 and 2 spells are a waste. But, if possible, it is
better
to master all four classes anyway, just so you can have the spells if you need
them.
Spells which cannot be used with the Calculator:
Fire 4 (Wizard)
Ice 4 (Wizard)
Bolt 4 (Wizard)
Cure 4 (Priest)
Protect 2 (Priest)
Shell 2 (Priest)
Haste 2 (Time Mage)
Slow 2 (Time Mage)
Quick (Time Mage)
Meteor (Time Mage)
Spell Absorb (Oracle)
Life Drain (Oracle)
All Summon spells. (Summoner)
The Stop Trick:
Get into a battle with a calculator, someone who knows haste, and Ramza
and Beowulf or have the calculator know Stop.
Kill all but one enemy.
Use stop on the enemy or have Beowulf use Don't Act.
Have Ramza use Yell (+1 speed) on the Calculator and the other person cast
haste on the calculator.
Have everyone else use accumulate, while the calculator uses Fire and Cure to
gain a ton of exp/JP for everyone involved.
Keep going till you have enough.
My favorite ways to use Calculators:
In the Deep Dungeon, 2 calculators and 3 knights with 1 Excalibur and 1 Chaos
Blade each. Have the calculators use Height:Prime Number:Holy. Even if it hits
your other guys, they'll be HEALED by the Holy because of the Excalibur!
In the final battle, you can use Holy on Altima. He hates it. All the while
keeping your calculator out of harm's way.
Using Cure on the entire board when fighting undead enemies. DANG, gotta love
cures that hurt your enemy. ;)
5. THANKS
PrinceMog - For explaining calculators to me for the first time :)
Kupan - For convincing me to buy FFT :P
Zero - For helping me out of a lot of tough spots and pointing out some errors
The Andrews V and K - For square.net (now RPGamer.com,) a page I've loved for
almost 3 years.
FireMyst - For putting up with my constant bitching in his channel ;) (And now
for running RPGamer.com.. Nice job dude!)
And of course, Square, for making awesome games.